


if these walls could talk (well, they'd be like)

by justprompts



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Good Sirius Black, M/M, Remus Lupin Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:55:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27976968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justprompts/pseuds/justprompts
Summary: “Hey, you! Yes, you, with the ratty vest, get over here.”Sirius waited impatiently until the young boy, possibly fifteen or fourteen years old, had hurried his way, eyes cast down as soon as he was in front of him, and had bowed his head. “What’s your name?”“Remus Lupin, Mr. Black.”
Relationships: Remus Lupin & Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 1
Kudos: 50





	if these walls could talk (well, they'd be like)

**Author's Note:**

> An idea off tumblr, I guess - an Alternate Universe where Grindelwald won, and so by Marauders Era, Blood Purity is already a huge thing, and the Blacks naturally rule the place.
> 
> Remus Lupin is still a werewolf, and this fic could probably go somewhere if somebody wants to put the effort. Would love to read a complete version of a similar idea!

“Hey, you! Yes, you, with the ratty vest, get over here.”

Sirius waited impatiently until the young boy, possibly fifteen or fourteen years old, had hurried his way, eyes cast down as soon as he was in front of him, and had bowed his head. “What’s your name?”

“Remus Lupin, Mr. Black.”

“Say, Lupin, have you heard what has happened?”

“You mean about the... Impurity Army?” The boy asked, tentatively. Sirius nodded. “What do you know about it?”

The boy frowned, and seemed to temporarily forget his manners, for he looked up and met Sirius’ eyes. “Well, they’re Muggleborns and Halfbloods, obviously.”

“Watch your tone.” Sirius warned, and the boy flushed.

“What are they doing? And why are they threatening to attack Hogwarts?”

“Because they’ve been stripped of their natural right to magic.” Remus said, with a small smile. His hands clenched and unclenched in fists, before dropping next to his sides. “It was only a matter of time, really.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Remus cast his eyes down, his face once more a neutral mask. “Nothing at all.”

“Impures aren’t capable of magic.” Sirius said haughtily, though a bitter taste on his lips tainted the words he had been repeating ever since he was a young child. “They’re not stable. They’re dangerous. You’re dangerous.”

He didn’t miss the smirk that curled Remus’ lip for the barest of seconds at his words. He would have missed it, if he hadn’t been tracking the scar that ran from the boy’s ear to his lip. “If you say so, Mr. Black.”

Sirius opened his mouth to ask what exactly that was supposed to mean, but he was interrupted by Bellatrix calling him.

“Come on, Sirius, don’t waste your time on that thing.” His other friends laughed along with her as Remus’ face grew a darker shade of red. “We’re getting to practice the Cruciatus on some Mudbloods today, remember?”

“I’m coming.” Sirius called back, but didn’t tear his eyes away from Remus. “Give me a minute, will you?”

She huffed, and flicked her hair. “Let’s go, sweethearts. We’ll pick all the good ones.” She turned around and walked off, graciously accepting the arm Lucius offered her.

“You should probably go, Mr. Black.” Remus said, his voice tight. “Practice on some Mudbloods.”

That was just intolerable. Sirius wasn’t used to anyone talking to him with anything less than utter respect, and this boy, with his shabby clothes and even shabbier hair, thought himself worthy enough to speak to Sirius, heir of the noble and most ancient house of Black, toujours pur, in such disgusted tones?

“You want to keep that quick tongue under control.” He said sharply. “If anyone as much as suspects you’re not supportive of the Pureblood community…”

“Can’t do anything worse to me than they already did, can they?” Remus snapped back, eyes burning with a fury that wasn’t previously present. Immediately after his outburst he paled, obviously back-pedalling from his harsh remark. He took a sharp intake of breath, his eyes flickering with something too close to fear for Sirius’ liking. “I’m sorry, Mr. Black I didn’t intend to…”

“I’m not telling.” Sirius flicked an imaginary fleck of dust of his emerald robes. “You should come see me later tonight, however.” It was just an excuse to meet the boy later, of course, ask him about the IA, but he could file it as a disciplinary meeting, maybe even get some extra credits out of it for Dark Arts.

Remus swallowed visibly, resigned determination and fear visible in his eyes, but raised his chin. Sirius felt an odd sense of respect for this boy rise in his stomach when he said, calm and as gentle as before, “As you wish, Mr. Black."

There's something about Remus Lupin.

And Sirius can tell, immediately.

There's something very, very different about him.

He flicked his hand upward, an invisible, tiny recording device (of Sirius's own recent invention) hurtling from his hand towards Remus, who missed seeing the device, but flinched backwards, confusedly glancing at him when the hand didn't make impact.

"Dismissed," he intoned, finally, sending the boy a last glance, as Remus nodded hastily and walked backwards, his eyes still downcast, apparently not stupid enough to turn his back towards Sirius.

Sirius walked after Bellatrix, hoping the sound recorder worked, because there was definitely something about Remus Lupin.

____

After watching Bellatrix laugh, and Lucius smirking as they raised their wands again and again, at the three ten year olds, whose voices had long since gone because of screaming in pain, Sirius made his way back to his quarters.

(Red flashes, screams, cackles.)

Again, and again, and again.

(Is this right?)

He squinted at his door for a second, looking at his wand.

(Doesn't feel right hurting children.)

He pushed open the door, the knob recognizing his blood.

(Even if they have dirty blood.)

Sitting down on the bed, he took out his wand, and pressed it to the ring on his right hand. It was his heir ring, that he had keyed to the recorder, to squeeze the free family magic through. He should be able to hear what Lupin was saying. Maybe something about the IA. Some nefarious scheme that the mug - sorry - mudbloods were planning, some sort of evidence that they really were unstable and dangerous.

(Ten year old children, but.)

He paused before hitting the magic core.

(Shut up, Sirius. You can't be feeling sorry for - for those filthy, unstable - for such filth.)

The magic core pulsed before the voices streamed out, in Sirius's ears, simple buzzing to anyone else.

"...can you, then?"

"Of course, Remus." (a sigh) "This is incredibly stupid of you, you know. Why do you - why do you have to -"

"I'm sorry, Lily," Remus said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I didn't- I didn't mean to-"

"To what?" the girl, Lily, Sirius surmised, sounded angry. "To foolishly talk back to a Black? Not any Black, that too, Heir Black!"

"I'm paying my price, aren't I?" Remus snapped back, his voice no longer contrite, breaking in the end. "He's called me tonight. I swear, I'll keep in check. I'll kneel, I'll beg - take my torture like a good little impure - whatever -"

Sirius felt a little sick, his stomach swooping at that.

"Its not that, Remus!" Lily interrupted, heatedly. "What if I can't steal the right potions? What if - what if I can't heal you right, after tonight?"

There was a long silence, as Remus didn't say anything, Sirius's eyes widening in horror and realisation.

"What if I get caught... again?" Lily whispered, fearfully.

Sirius wondered, with a detached and strange sense of guilt, what had happened to her the last time she was caught.

"You won't," Remus said, firmly. "I'll get the potions, and I know you'll heal me right up - you always do, Lily. Its gonna be alright, I promise."

"What good is your promise that it'll be alright?" Lily's voice was scathing. "Nothing ever is alright. Its never going to be alright. We can't - we can't change the world, Remus."

"I know," Remus whispered, his voice haunted.

There was a pause.

"Was - was he very angry with you?" Lily asked, and Sirius's fist clenched, his nails digging painfully in his palms, as he realised what he had done - what it meant -

"We'll get the potions right now, Lils," Remus said tiredly, and Sirius could almost feel the fear in Lily's voice as she recognised the evasion of the question and said, "Please, for the love of - you're not even fully healed from last week -"

There was a shuffle, which Sirius took to mean that Remus was getting up.

"You need to stop putting your life in danger, Re, please," Lily whispered.

And Sirius - completely and absolutely horrified, and exhausted - pulled off his magic from the ring.

____

There was a knock on the door, soft and hesitant and Sirius immediately knew it was Remus.

Ignoring the guilt he felt, the misplaced guilt, he reminded himself in vain, he managed to say, in a bored tone, "Come in."

If he wanted that recorder to stay there for long, he would have to pretend it didn't exist.

Remus entered, his head bowed low, hands behind his back and it might just be a show, but Sirius could see him visibly trembling.

He stood up from his study, a little shakily, flicking his wand to push forward an extra chair and said, "Sit, Lupin."

Remus's head shot up, his eyes wide with bewilderment before they were impassive again, in a flick and he sat down, slowly, as if Sirius was going to push the chair from underneath him.

"I didn't call you for your impertinence," Sirius said, his voice low, the words itself making him cringe. "I want to know what is it that you can tell me about the IA."

Remus exhaled slowly, the tension in his thin shoulders dissipating a little, before saying, "I don't know anything about it."

Sirius waited for Remus to stop glaring at his knees and give him a proper answer. When he didn't, he said, calmly, 

"We both know that's a lie. You do, in fact, know quite a lot about it. So, I suggest you start talking."

Remus clenched his fists, but when he looked up, there was no sign of hesitation on his face as he said, softly, "I don't know. I heard about it, in the passing, there are rumours everywhere. That its called the Impurity Army, and that it has muggleborns and half bloods, who want their right to magic back. I don't know anything else."

Sirius noted how he had always known all this, and said, "You're lying again, Lupin. It'll be easier for both of us if you just tell me what you know."

"And then you'll send me on my merry way?" the meek, soft voice was gone and in its place, there was a harsh, low voice, a look of pure pain passing over Remus's face. "Even if I did know anything about it, it would hardly make a difference to -"

He stopped abruptly, as if running out of steam, and again, Sirius saw the fear streaking across his pale face.

"I don't know anything," Remus whispered once more, his hands gripping the arms of the chair tight, his knuckles white, his eyes downcast once more.

Sirius sighed.

Remus flinched as he raised his wand, his eyes squeezing shut.

___

Sirius Black was known for incredible magic, full control over his wand and a Dark magic core, the way only a Black Heir could have.

And Remus did not want to test that dark magic core at all. In fact, all he wanted was to get out of the room - flee - but that was impossible and now he was going to -

He couldn't stop himself from flinching as Black raised his wand, berating himself for speaking like that once more.

He waited, squeezing his eyes as he felt -

No pain.

Absolutely no pain, atleast no more than his body was already in.

He opened his eyes to see Sirius still flicking it, a golden glow emanating from his own body. He wished he had the opportunity of studying magic, so he could tell what kind of deranged, painful scheme this was -

"You have three broken bones," Black, finally muttered.

What?

Remus looked at him, was he planning to break more? Why was he checking him, with what had to be a diagnostic spell?

"And two sprains, along with damage to your ribs," he said, as Remus's mouth fell open. 

Black was insane. What was he doing?

"Remove your shirt," he said, before flicking his wrist and locking the door. 

Remus's heart was beating wildly, this was strange, and new, and he had taken all sorts of punishments, but Black was - 

Unpredictable. 

He controlled his shaking fingers and stumbled through the buttons, looking down as Black's lips pursed when he looked at his chest, covered with scars and bruises.

"Episkey," he said, lowly, and Remus's eyes widened in shock, was Black - was he... healing him?!

"Tergeo," he continued, his wand moving perfectly in circles and flicks and swishes, "Helio ni sxis trinutra ... salvio hexia ... episkey... tergeo... salvia maxima protrea ..."

Remus swallowed. Oh merlin. If this was some sort of I-healed-you-now-tell-me-about-IA trick, then what would he do?

But Sirius didn't say that. He worked until Remus felt better and healthier than he had - well, then he had ever felt, and then said, "Good night, Lupin."

The door flew open, and in his state of shock, he fumbled with the buttons, closing them and almost running out.

He stopped at the door, unsure of what this meant. But Sirius was the first person to ever show this kind of kindness.

"Thank you," he whispered, hoping the other boy would understand.

Sirius nodded, his eyes locked intently with Remus's.

____


End file.
